Recent Antibiotics Used in Dental Disease Management

Abstract

This chapter considers the changes in antibiotic usage in dentistry over the recent past. We have done an insilico comparative analysis of the effectiveness of commercial antibiotics Chlorhexidine, with a natural compounds Macelignan and eugenol against Streptococcus mutans, a dental carries causing bacteria. Treatment and prophylaxis with antibiotics are inevitable for oral care. Antibiotics are used when there is clinical evidence of local infection or systemic sepsis. First-line antibiotics like amoxicillin, phenoxymethylpenicillin, metronidazole and erythromycin are prescribed, as penicillin still remains the gold standard. Since these commercial antibiotics are causing many side effects, we have undertaken this comparative study with the commercial antibiotics and the results revealed that the binding energy levels and affinity of towards the adhesion protein ligand of Streptococcus mutans and the compound Macelignan were considerably equal with the commercial disinfectant Chlorhexidine. The second natural compound eugenol present in cloves could also able to bind with the target protein. Hence the dentists should consider to prescribe these natural compounds instead of the semisynthetic antibiotics which are causing side effects.